1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of compound bows, and more particularly to a device for keeping the inside cables of such a bow separate from one another.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Compound bows have been in existence for some time, and their general construction and operation is well known. In certain designs, the compound bows include a cable which spans between the bow tips to define the center, arrow-receiving portion. This cable then extends over pulleys at each of the bow tips, and the two ends cross to the opposite limb at which point they are attached.
The latter two cable portions, referred to herein as the inside cables, normally lie in the plane of the center portion of the cable, and would thereby interfere with the arrow as it is being shot. Consequently, some bows have included a cable guard which typically comprises a rod which is affixed to the bow and extends toward the archer. An example of a cable guard is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,231, issued to Napier et al. on June 1, 1982. The guard is positioned to restrain the inside cables to one side of the center line of the bow, thereby moving the inside cables out of the way of the arrow.
A problem which has been encountered with compound bows, and particularly with those including a cable guard. has been the generation of noise caused by the rubbing together of the two inside cables. Since the inside cables cross one another in extending between opposite bow limbs, they necessarily contact each other under normal conditions. The cable guard heightens the contact since both inside cables lay upon the guard. The noise which is thereby generated can be a considerable problem. especially if the bow is being used for hunting purposes and this noise can be detected by the game birds or animals.
To overcome this problem, certain devices have been employed in the prior art to minimize or muffle the noise generated by the inside cables. Some of these devices are directed more to facilitating the sliding action of the inside cables relative the cable guard. Others include means for separating the cables at the cable guard, the cables being positioned in a plane, and being parallel but spaced apart a short distance.
One such design is a device available under the designation "CABLE POSITIONER WITH SIDE MOUNT" from Bear Archery, a subsidiary of Kidde, Inc. located in Gainesville, Fla. This device is a small plastic item which has three rings mounted to a base. The rings have aligned apertures in which the cable guard is received. The two inside cables are received at the base of the openings between adjacent rings and retained therein by the cable guard.
A related design is one which comprises a small plastic guide which has a cylindrical depression within which the cable guard is received. Opposite the depression are a pair of slots extending transverse of the depression and receiving the inside cables therein. The guide is held against the cable guard by the pressure of the inside cables, and is free to slide along the guard with the cables. A third design similar to the "CABLE POSITIONER" from Bear Archery comprises simply a cylindrical sleeve which fits over the cable guard and includes a pair of transverse holes within which the inside cables are received.
A disadvantage of the described cable separators is that they do not fully separate the cables for their full extend. These devices perhaps serve a more direct purpose of facilitating movement of the inside cables relative the cable guard, and do not fully serve the purpose of separating the cables to eliminate contact noise. As a result, an additional device has been proposed, to be used in conjunction with the described separators, to further ensure separation of the cables. Such a device is available under the designation "BEAR `NEET` CABLE SILENCER" from Bear Archery, Inc. This device has an S-shaped cross section and each of the two inside cables is received in one of the opposed curves. This device may be placed anywhere along the inside cables and thereby is positionable at the location where contact between the cables would otherwise occur. However, this results in the use of two separate pieces being used to accomplish the desired result of lessening cable noise.